This archive report was first published on 3 January 2020.
January 3, 2020, marked a dark day for Kenya's fight against HIV/AIDS as the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) imposed taxes on ARV drugs shipped into the country by donors.
The move has left many wondering what other essential commodities could be on the taxman's radar, with airtime and data bundles being a prime concern.
According to sources, the US government had allocated $35 million to fund the procurement of HIV drugs to be given free of charge to approximately 900,000 Kenyans. However, when the drugs landed at the Port of Mombasa in October 2019, KRA slapped taxes on them, prompting the US Embassy in Kenya to refuse payment and ask KEMSA to do so instead.
As a result, the drugs were eventually taken to another country, leaving Kenya with a shortage of some types of ARVs and putting the lives of many Kenyans at risk.
The incident has sparked fears that KRA could now target airtime and data bundles, which are essential for many Kenyans, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the end of 2019, KRA made a shocking announcement of introducing taxes on new businesses, a move that has been met with criticism from many quarters.
